


The Highway Man

by Public_Nuisance



Category: Darkwing Duck (Cartoon 1991), Disney Duck Universe, DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24637183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Public_Nuisance/pseuds/Public_Nuisance
Summary: Darkwing Duck is an infamous highwayman. Morgana is his lover. What happens when they plan to meet?
Relationships: Morgana Macawber/Drake Mallard
Kudos: 12





	The Highway Man

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!! This story is based on a poem called "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes! It's super short because I'm still a bit rusty at writing but I hope you guys like it!

_The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees._

_The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas._

_The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding—_

_Riding—riding—_

_The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door._

__~~~_ _

Darkwing Duck was the most infamous highwayman in all of, well, everywhere. He was far superior to the footpads and feared by even the bravest travelers. Hell, even other highwaymen became wary when he came around.

Darkwing Duck was different than the other criminals. He stood for good, he just uses questionable methods. He does not resort to violence like those other barbaric thieves, but he has a way of slipping out of any situation unscathed. He will go through any mental or physical acrobatics to make sure things will turn out his way.

__~~~_ _

___He’d a French cocked-hat on his forehead,_ _ _ ___a bunch of lace at his chin,_ _ _

___A coat of the claret velvet,_ _ _ ___and breeches of brown doe-skin._ _ _

___T_ _ _ ___hey fitted with never a wrinkle. His boots were up to the thigh._ _ _

___And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,_ _ _

___His pistol butts a-twinkle,_ _ _

___His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky._ _ _

____~~~_ _ _ _

Many say that thieves should not dress extravagantly. Even the slightest bit of velvet or one shiny jewel can many anyone stand out. Darkwing Duck laughs at those remarks. He wouldn’t be caught dead looking like a common criminal, or even your average peasant.

He treasured his appearance above all else. It was his signature looks that struck fear into the hearts of the corrupted. It was his signature look that told the world that he only stole from the money hoarders. It was his signature look that held the perfection showing that he has never lost a battle. If anything were to tarnish that signature look, who knows what would happen to his credibility.

____~~~_ _ _ _

_____Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard._ _ _ _ _

_____He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred._ _ _ _ _

_____He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there_ _ _ _ _

_____But the landlord’s black-eyed daughter,_ _ _ _ _

_____Bess, the landlord’s daughter,_ _ _ _ _

_____Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair._ _ _ _ _

______~~~_ _ _ _ _ _

Darkwing let himself get close to very few people. He had a daughter and a partner in crime. He also had a lover: Morgana Macawber. The talk of the town was that she was a witch. He knew it was a dream of hers, yes, but the reality is that she never could. She would lose her home, her reputation, and even her life.

Most of the rumors about her exist because of him. Her staying up late was to see him. Her suddenly getting expensive jewelry and clothes was because of him. He could ruin her, but she didn’t care. They loved each other, and that’s what mattered to her. It touched Darkwing’s heart in ways that no one could.

______~~~_ _ _ _ _ _

_______And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Where Tim the ostler listened. His face was white and peaked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______But he loved the landlord’s daughter,_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______T_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _______he landlord’s red-lipped daughter._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—_ _ _ _ _ _ _

________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Negaduck, however, was quite the opposite of Darkwing Duck. They only had three similarities: their looks, their egos, and their affections towards Morgana. Negaduck was cruel to his co-workers, he hated the poor, and he despised Darkwing Duck. The fact that he won Morgana’s affections and not him made him seethe with anger.

He heard the horse stomping towards the inn. He knew who was coming and he knew what that duck was here for. He listened intently, not wanting to miss anything to hold against the man. Maybe he could even hear a fumble to make fun of.

________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________One kiss, my bonny sweetheart,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________I’m after a prize to-night,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Y_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________et, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Then look for me by moonlight, Watch for me by moonlight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________I_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________’ll come to thee by moonlight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________though hell should bar the way.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Negaduck heard this, and he frowned. He hated the highwayman’s frequent visits. Then, something went off in his brain and his scowl turned into a smirk. He patted himself on the back for coming up with a plan so quickly. He ran off to call for the soldiers to finally stop the highwayman’s visits, once and for all.

Now, Darkwing had a plan. He normally didn’t plan out his heists, but people haven’t been traveling as much these days. At this point, he couldn’t just wait. He had to be on the offensive or else he wouldn’t be getting much of anything. He didn’t know how it would work out, but he had to come back, if not for himself then for Launchpad, Gosalyn, and Morgana.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________He rose upright in the stirrups. He scarce could reach her hand,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________But she loosened her hair in the casement. His face burnt like a brand_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________(O, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

So Darkwing made his promise to Morgana in the hope that he wouldn’t have to break it. Luckily for him, she seemed happy with this as she let her hair loosen. Darkwing could feel the heat rise up in his cheeks. He pressed his beak into her locks of dark hair.

“Watch for me by the moonlight, Morgana, my love,” he said, letting go. It hurt him to leave, but there was work to be done. He began to leave, slowly at first, then the pace picked up as time went on.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________He did not come in the dawning. He did not come at noon;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________When the road was a gypsy’s ribbon, looping the purple moor, A red-coat troop came marching—_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Marching—marching—_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________King George’s men came marching, up to the old inn-door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The troops that were housed in the area were also very cruel. Some would even say that they’re quite “fowl,” which became the group’s nickname in the city. The soldiers were powerful, threatening, and merciless. That’s why Negaduck called them. He knew that with even one glimpse of Darkwing Duck, it would be over for that egotistical highwayman.

Negaduck knew that he was smart. He was smarter than the villagers, he was smarter than FOWL, and he was certainly smarter than Darkwing Duck. How quickly he came up with this plan—and how clever it was too. Negaduck certainly was proud of himself. Now, all he had to do was sit back, wait, and watch.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________They said no word to the landlord. They drank his ale instead._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________But they gagged his daughter, and bound her, to the foot of her narrow bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________There was death at every window;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And hell at one dark window;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Morgana never liked guns. She never liked the soldiers either. Now there were two of each in her bedroom, all uninvited.

She tried to yell at them. She tried to fight. In the end, though, there wasn’t anything she could do that wouldn’t get her instantly killed. She wasn’t strong enough. Now she was gagged and tied up in her own room. It was a humiliating situation really. She watched the men in her room nervously, unsure of what they would do. What she did know is why they were there. They wanted her Darkwing.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________They had bound a musket beside her, with the muzzle beneath her breast!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________Now, keep good watch!” and they kissed her. She heard the doomed man say—_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Look for me by moonlight;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Watch for me by moonlight;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Morgana felt herself getting queasy. Not only did the guards’ closeness upset her, but they had put a gun right against her. If she wasn’t tied up she would have fallen to the ground. She had little strength left to hold herself up.

In an attempt to remain somewhat calm, Morgana thought of the good times she and Darkwing had together. Everything led to last night, the words Darkwing has said, and what may happen to him when he arrived.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Cold, on the stroke of midnight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Morgana had no clue what was covering her hands, but she was thankful for its aid in moving her hands. She didn’t have much in the situation, but at least she managed to get the trigger of the musket into her grasp. She just hoped that Darkwing wouldn’t show up.

So Morgana waited in anxiety, sadness, and anger to see if Darkwing would show up. She had blocked out the soldiers’ conversations and comments about both her and him, not that she would’ve been able to answer anyway. She prayed that he wouldn’t come riding down the street.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________The tip of one finger touched it. She strove no more for the rest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Up, she stood up to attention, with the muzzle beneath her breast._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________For the road lay bare in the moonlight;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Blank and bare in the moonlight;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And the blood of her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love’s refrain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Morgana didn’t dare move any more than she already had. The tip of her finger was on the trigger, that was enough. There were too many risks in moving more. With this new advantage, she kept her eyes on the road, ignoring the soldiers in her room.

The road lay bare for so long, Morgana gained some hope. Maybe the men would leave before he could show up. With hope comes strength, and she stood back up to attention. Her face changed. It was less scared, now more determined.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horsehoofs ringing clear;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________The highwayman came riding—_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Riding—riding—_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________The red coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!” Morgana heard, and all of her hope was swept away. She didn’t lose her strength, though. She knew that she was going to warn him one way or another. If she had to give up her life to save Darkwing, that’s just how it would be.

The intruders finally heard the clobbering of the hooves on the road. They shared a look and nodded. Morgana watched them as they readied themselves. Her finger on the trigger twitched. Her eyes fixated on the highwayman as hot tears began to stream down her cheeks. “For Darkwing,” she whispered to herself.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Nearer he came and nearer. Her face was like a light._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Then her finger moved in the moonlight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Her musket shattered the moonlight,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him—with her death._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Darkwing moved closer and closer to the inn. Excitement rose within him—his heist was a success! He couldn’t wait to tell Morgana. He even had a gift for her! He smiled to himself, imagining how she would swoon over him. How she would hug him and kiss him. How they would have a future together.

Morgana’s mouth was dry. She forced herself to stop crying. She wanted to look brave to prove that she was dying for a noble cause. Her breath turned shaky as she watched the man she had loved for so long move closer to his demise. This was the only way she could warn him. She took one last deep breath and—

**_BANG!_ **

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________He turned. He spurred to the west; he did not know who stood_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Bowed, with her head o’er the musket, drenched with her own blood!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Not till the dawn he heard it, and his face grew grey to hear_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________How Bess, the landlord’s daughter,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________The landlord’s black-eyed daughter,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

At first, Darkwing didn’t know what had just happened. He heard a bang and then silence. Was there something happening on the streets? A murder? A fight? He looked around—anywhere but the inn. He hoped nothing happened to Morgana.

He forced himself to look at her window. There she was in the window: Morgana, covered in her own blood. It wasn’t violence, it was… it was suicide. Darkwing covered his beak with his hands. Hot tears streamed down his face. He didn’t believe it. He refused to believe it. There was no way that the love of his life—the woman who he planned on having a future with—was dead.

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Blood red were his spurs in the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________When they shot him down on the highway,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________Down like a dog on the highway,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________~~~_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He cried out, yelling. People began to look and stare. He didn’t care. He knew what her death was for, though. It was a warning. He turned his horse around to run away. He didn’t make it very far, though. A sharp pain went through his back and into his stomach. He slid off the horse and collapsed on the ground.

He watched his horse run away, everything going with it. Gosalyn would never see her had again. Launchpad would never have his partner back. His fortune and his reputation are gone and worthless. The only thing he had was that he and Morgana could be together again. Only this time, it would be forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, it was a bit short, but thank you so much for reading! Would you guys be interested if I made this into a full AU?


End file.
